Politics

4:30am

Capitol Conversation

Governor John Hickenlooper's oil and gas task force recently proposed nine recommendations to try and easy concerns for people living near energy development, but it did not vote to give local communities more control over oil and gas drilling.

The big question on everyone's mind now: What's next for the state Legislature and for a possible anti-fracking initiative going before voters in 2016?

5:37pm

Politics

Reaction at the state capitol to work of the Oil and Gas Task Force was decidedly mixed. Members of the governor's own party called the effort a failure, one lawmaker even graded it an "F+."

The proposed recommendations are intended to mitigate the impacts of energy development near communities. While the task force wants local governments to be more involved in developing large drill sites, it stopped short of allowing cities and counties to adopt rules stricter than the state standards.

With the final nine recommendations to hit Governor John Hickenlooper's desk Feb. 27, what are his thoughts on the group's work and the backlash?

Backers, including many tech firms and the Obama administration, say the net neutrality rules will ensure equal access to the net for content providers. But Republicans in Congress are no fans of FCC Chairman Thomas Wheeler's plan.

7:47am

Politics

Members of Coloradans Against Fracking line up to deliver health reports to members of the Oil and Gas Task Force.

Dan BoyceInside Energy

Votes have been tallied on over 50 proposals seeking to reduce conflicts between the public and the oil and gas industry. When it was all said and done, the Governor's Oil and Gas Task Force was able to send nine recommendations along. All passed with the two-thirds majority vote required.

One of the nine attempts to address the task force’s biggest charge -- finding compromise on whether local governments should be given more say when drilling is proposed near residential and urban areas, especially with larger multiwell operations.